I Casually Wore a Hot Pink Wig to Dinner and I Think It Went Pretty Well

I spent the weekend before last at Comic-Con in San Diego, California. My pals had a booth there and my dude was on a panel so I went to help out, swim and attend super-fun parties.

While walking around the main floor on Saturday afternoon, I was getting a little stressed out because there was still SO MUCH to do -- and I needed to get back to the hotel to wash my filthy hair before I attended a fancy dinner that night. (I'm obviously more than a little obsessed with washing my hair.)

So I was thrilled when I strolled by a booth selling tons of inexpensive, candy colored wigs -- because let me tell you, cutting the hair washing portion out of getting ready cuts the total time expenditure in HALF. I instantly planned to just cram my dirty hair up under a wig and sail off into the night.

I purposely picked a wig that was a somewhat conservative hairstyle -- shoulder length with bouncy curls. I chose one that also had straight bangs because I have very straight hair in real life, so it most "matched" my normal look. Plus the bangs help hide where the wig meets your forehead -- an important detail I only realized later on. (And a few well-placed bobby pins helped the whole thing blend into itself.)

The part of the wig that wasn't at ALL conservative was the color -- flaming hot pink!

I've had hot pink hair in the past, so I already knew I could pull it off pretty well.

Obviously a huge hot pink wig is not such a subtle look. But luckily I had some simple clothes in my suitcase to throw on with it to tone it down. That's the main reason I stopped dyeing my hair pink all those years ago -- so much of my wardrobe clashed with it, and I had to dress really simply to balance out the mania on my head. It got way boring, fast.

I settled on a low-key, slightly prom-ish black strapless dress and a plain pair of platform sandals and took off for dinner.

Those sandals I'm wearing are by Dolce Vita -- they keep releasing them every season under different "J" names: Jade, Jude, and now Jury. I love them so -- the wedge provides support and the silhouette really elongates the leg. It’s flattering on everyone!

They are also THE MOST comfortable platforms I have ever worn. I walked miles in them at Comic-Con and my feet never hurt. I've bought them in 3 different colors already, and I'd buy a 4th if they made 'em.

I almost didn't wear any jewelry with this whole getup, but then I threw on this silly rhinestone "OMG" necklace at the last minute, as I didn't want anyone to think I was taking my look too seriously.

The whole thing was a pretty big hit. I felt sort of stupid for the first 20 minutes but then I got over it. I got tons of compliments on it, and the wig came off as more of a statement fashion accessory instead of a big obvious scenery chewing deal. The best part was that I didn't feel the need to hit the bathroom every hour or so to make sure my hair wasn't a mess! It was pretty freeing.

I think the slightly formal, party frock vibe of the dress I wore with this crazy wig helped it be a fun, classy look instead of veering into a ridiculous costume.

I also played it safe with my makeup. I considered doing a really simple nude lip, but then I found this pinky-colored Revlon Just Bitten balm stain (#020, Lovesick) in my makeup bag, so I decided to go matchy-matchy for simplicity's sake. I also used the lightest wash of a warm, golden toned eyeshadow, added a swipe of mascara (Benefit's "They're Real!") and called it done. I'm telling you, it's a total snap to get dressed when one part of your outfit is doing all the heavy lifting!

The whole look was such a success that I'm considering the purchase of a pastel ringlet rainbow wig next. Gabi succeeded in pulling off cotton candy fairy hair, but I'm way too lazy for that sort of commitment. I need a slap 'n go solution.

Throw a sheet over the whole thing to protect them from dust and you're golden!

And there you have the story of how I came to attend a fancy dinner at the exclusive Oceanaire Seafood Room in San Diego with a bunch of uptight TV execs while wearing a hot pink wig and not looking like a total maniac. Go forth and party with your unwashed hair hidden from prying eyes, ya hear? You look AWESOME.